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Union Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

South Jersey’s biggest lake: Union Lake holds bass, pickerel and crappie in tannic Maurice River water.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
212 cfs
Air / High
86 / 86 F
Wind
WNW 8 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 01411500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Union Lake stays in its summer rhythm: early magic, midday siesta, evening reprieve. The river is running 212 cfs, on the rise. Today brings clear skies, wind WNW around 8 mph, rising pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 86. Water sits around 84 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: plan around them and beat the heat.

The plan, species by species

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Largemouth bassFair

Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

White bassFair

Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

CrappieSlow

Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 78 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Maurice River at Norma.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 01411500.

77130183212 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp86 F
High / Low86 / 73 F
WindWNW 8-17 mph
Pressure1011.7 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain16% cloud, 56%
Sunrise / Sunset06:31 / 19:26
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~84 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 86/73 F, wind 11 mph, rain 56%

Fair or better. Cloud and a rain chance can stretch the morning bite well past breakfast: keep moving baits tied on.

Species guide

The species that matter on Union Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

When to come: the Union Lake calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Largemouth bass
Crappie
Catfish (blue, channel)
White bass
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 84 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Union Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 86 F, wind to 11 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at excellent. High of 78 F, wind to 7 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 89 F, wind to 8 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

New Jersey requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

New Jersey license. Bass, pickerel and panfish limits per current NJ Fish and Wildlife regulations.

Access

State boat ramp at Millville; Union Lake Wildlife Management Area shoreline access.

About this water

An 898-acre lake on the Maurice River at Millville, Cumberland County, New Jersey: the largest lake in south Jersey.

Fishing Union Lake: the full guide

A Pine Barrens lake

Union Lake covers 898 acres on the Maurice River at Millville, the largest lake in southern New Jersey. The water runs tannic and acidic in the Pine Barrens style, and the fishery reflects it: largemouth bass, chain pickerel, crappie, yellow perch and catfish, with the state managing the lake through periodic drawdowns that renew the shoreline vegetation.

Bass and pickerel

Largemouth relate to the lily pads, timber and shoreline wood: plastics, spinnerbaits and topwater through the warm months, with frogs over the pads a summer staple. Chain pickerel are abundant and aggressive, hitting anything moving through the weeds: they are the species most visitors underestimate and most enjoy on light tackle.

Crappie and perch

Crappie stack around any structure and the deeper water near the dam, best in spring and fall on jigs and minnows. Yellow perch fill the shallows in cold months. The tannic water favors dark and high-contrast baits over natural colors, and the shallow lake warms quickly in spring, starting the bass season earlier than in northern New Jersey.

Millville logistics

A state boat ramp provides access, with the surrounding Union Lake Wildlife Management Area protecting extensive shoreline and offering bank fishing and hunting. Millville is minutes away. Periodic drawdowns for management or dam work change conditions substantially: check current status before planning a boat trip.

Common questions

Why is the water dark?

Tannins from the Pine Barrens watershed stain it: dark and high-contrast baits outfish natural colors here.

Are the pickerel worth targeting?

Absolutely: abundant, aggressive and excellent on light tackle. Most visitors underestimate them.

Do drawdowns affect fishing?

Yes: periodic management drawdowns change access and conditions substantially. Check current status first.

Is fishing good at Union Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Delaware Bay29 miSilver Lake31 miCape May32 miChristina River35 miLums Pond37 miBrandywine Creek37 mi
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